


take a good look, you're bound to see (that you and me were meant to be)

by SpankMyAstonMartin



Series: stay young, get stoned [2]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2016-03-03
Packaged: 2018-05-24 11:01:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6151501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpankMyAstonMartin/pseuds/SpankMyAstonMartin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lexa meets Clarke at the animal shelter.</p><p>Or rather...</p><p>'I asked a staff member and they said you've been coming to the pound every day to play with the dog I'm taking home today and that's why you're getting weirdly emotional' AU from Tumblr</p>
            </blockquote>





	take a good look, you're bound to see (that you and me were meant to be)

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from The Beatles' 'Martha My Dear'
> 
> This takes place about 2-3 years before [this.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6144998)

Anya convinces Lexa to get a dog after more than a month of research and showing her pictures of adoptable dogs. Lexa thinks it's a little silly. Anya doesn't live with her. She doesn't even really like dogs on account of the fact that they have to be walked/let out otherwise they pee and poop inside the house. (Her actual words were 'piss' and 'shit' but that's neither here nor there.) But Anya says Lexa needs someone or something at home for her protection. 

"I thought that's why you paid for me to get those self-defense classes," Lexa says one day. 

They're out to breakfast after their Saturday morning run. Anya rolls her eyes. 

"And that's why I had that security system installed." 

"It doesn't hurt to have a dog in case someone manages to get past your security system," Anya says. "Sometimes the barking is enough to deter criminals." 

"I don't want a dog that's going to bark that much." 

Anya spends the next few minutes scrolling through her phone while digging into her breakfast. She shows Lexa some pictures of young dogs. Most of them aren't potty trained at all. Two of them are noted to have destructive tendencies when they're left alone. 

"What about this one?" 

Anya slides her phone across the table. She has the Petfinder website open to a page on a husky. He's neutered, house trained, and non-destructive. He's also turning four next week. He doesn't jump on the furniture without permission and knows a few tricks. 

"He's cute," is all Lexa says. 

"He's a well-mannered dog," Anya adds. "He's perfect for you." 

"He's a lot of responsibility." 

"So were Titus and Gustus and they lived long, healthy lives when we were growing up." 

A fond smile makes its way across Lexa's face as she remembers the two Great Danes their parents owned. 

"I'm not saying you have to adopt _him_. But you could go and see him. Maybe you'll fall in love with him or another dog." 

"Maybe." 

Anya smiles knowingly at her. Lexa rolls her eyes and steals a piece of bacon off her plate.

##

Lexa goes down to the animal shelter the next day after work. One of the employees directs her over to the husky she saw on Petfinder. The dog sniffs at her fingers through the gate, tail wagging like crazy.

"You don't look like an Elmo," she tells the dog. 

"His previous owners let their four year old name him," someone says behind her. "Their oldest wanted to name him after one of the Greek gods." 

Lexa jumps. Elmo lets out a little bark. His tail starts to wag faster, if that was even possible. A blonde walks up to Elmo's kennel. She sticks her fingers through the fencing, even though there's a sign telling people to do the opposite. Elmo licks her hand. 

"Do you work here?" Lexa asks. 

"Basically," the blonde answers. She extends the hand not covered in dog drool toward Lexa. "Clarke." 

"Lexa." 

"You thinking of adopting someone?" 

Lexa motion to Elmo. "Him. My sister showed him to me but I might look around more." 

A strange look crosses over Clarke's face. It's not really a frown or a glare. It's not even a combination of both or any other emotion Lexa is familiar with. The look disappears quickly. 

"There are some husky mix puppies on the other side of this wall," Clarke says. "Their mother is at the vet right now. She's a sweetheart too." 

Lexa nods even though Clarke isn't paying attention to her anymore. She walks over to the next row of kennels. The barking and yipping is louder over here. Lexa crouches down to watch a litter of puppies jump and climb over each other to greet her. She spends almost half an hour just watching them. 

Her phone chimes, letting her know it's time for her to meet Anya at the gym. She says goodbye to the puppies. She stops by Elmo's kennel to say goodbye to him too. 

Clarke is gone. Elmo has a sad look on his face until he notices Lexa coming back to him. He stands up on his hind legs, front paws against the fencing. Someone from the shelter comes by. 

"He looks like he really likes you," the boy says. "Would you like to fill out an adoption form?" 

"Maybe," Lexa says. "Can I take one home and fax it over tomorrow?" 

"We don't have a fax machine. Our old one broke. But we have a form online that you can fill out." 

"Okay. I'll do that." 

Lexa says goodbye to Elmo and the boy. She winds up being fifteen minutes late to the gym because she fills out the adoption form on her phone in the parking lot of the shelter. 

"You're late," Anya says when Lexa finally joins her. 

The display on the treadmill says Anya's already walked-slash-ran close to three miles. Lexa hops on the treadmill next to hers. She sets it fast enough for her to power walk. 

"I went to the animal shelter," Lexa tells her. 

"And?" 

"Expect a call from them in a couple of days." 

Anya cracks a smile. "I take it you don't want me to mention the time you let Gustus eat a whole apple pie." 

"If my memory serves me well, as it normally does, you were the one who wasn't watching him. I was six and not in charge of anything, much less a dog." 

Anya reaches over and turns up the speed on Lexa's treadmill until she's sprinting to keep from wiping out. She doesn't turn it back down until Lexa wheezes an apology.

##

Lexa gets approved to adopt Elmo three days later. Anya is more excited about this than she is.

Clarke is at the shelter when Lexa goes to pick up Elmo with Anya. The strange look appears on her face again when she sees them. Anya stops walking and pulls Lexa to her side. 

"Is that her?" she asks. 

"Yes," Lexa answers. 

"You didn't tell me she was hot." 

"Please don't." 

"Why?" Anya smirks. "Did you call dibs?" 

"Dibs? Are you twelve?" 

"Are you blind? Don't tell me you don't think she's attractive." 

"I'm not saying that she's not attractive. I just don't think she likes me very much due to my interest in adopting Elmo. She tried to get me to adopt other dogs when I was here last week." 

"Tell her to suck it up because you _are_ adopting him. Or fight her for him. You can take her." 

"I will not physically fight someone over a dog." 

Anya shrugs. She shoves Lexa forward as Clarke opens Elmo's kennel door. She lets him out, leash secured to the red collar around his neck. She heads the leash to Lexa. The teary eyed look she's sporting now is a little more concerning than the previous look on her face. 

"They tell me you're taking him home today." Clarke's voice is surprisingly calm. "Promise me you'll take good care of him." 

Despite not knowing a damn thing about Clarke, other than she's oddly emotional about Elmo, Lexa nods. "I promise." 

Clarke crouches so she's eye level with Elmo. "You be a good boy for her, okay?" She scratches him behind the ears before standing up and leaving the shelter. 

Anya waits for Clarke to be out of earshot to say, "That was weird." 

The shelter employee, the boy from the other day, comes out of the office with a box labeled 'Elmo.' Anya takes it from him before he can drop it. 

"Clarke said to give this to whoever was going to adopt Elmo," says the boy. "Said these were his favorite toys." 

Lexa peeks inside the box. Elmo had only been in the shelter for two weeks. This was more than two weeks worth of toys. 

"Does she buy toys for all of the dogs here?" Lexa asks. 

"No. She dropped him off here and has been coming back every day to play with him." 

"I'll be right back." 

Lexa takes Elmo and leaves Anya in the shelter with his toys and the boy. They head out into the parking lot. They find Clarke sitting in her car. Lexa taps on the window, startling her. She pretends not to notice Clarke wiping her eyes. 

Clarke rolls down the window. "Yes?" 

"You didn't tell me Elmo was your dog," Lexa says. "That kid inside said you put him up for adoption." 

"My baby brother is allergic to him," Clarke says. "And I still live at home so I can't keep him around." 

Clarke starts her car. She casts a sad glance over at Elmo. The dog whines next to Lexa. He pulls at the leash like he wants to jump into Clarke's car. 

"Wait." 

Lexa stops Clarke from rolling up her window by grabbing it. Clarke almost closes it on Lexa's fingers. 

"Are you insane?" Clarke asks. Yells practically. 

"What were you going to name him?" Lexa asks in lieu of an answer to Clarke's question. 

Clarke's brows furrow. "What?" 

"Elmo." Lexa points to the dog in question. "You said you wanted to name him after a Greek god. What were you going to name him?" 

"Artemis. I wanted to call him 'Artie' for short." 

Lexa looks down at Elmo. "You look like you could be an Artemis," she murmurs. 

Elmo must have heard her because he looks up with her, head tilted. Lexa repeats the name, louder this time. His tail wags back and forth. It thumps against the side of Clarke's car. Lexa looks to Clarke. The blonde smiles brightly. 

"I think he likes his new name," Lexa says. 

Clarke nods. "It's a hell of a lot better than Elmo." 

Movement at the front door of the shelter catches Lexa's eye. It's Anya with Elmo – no, Artemis' box of toys. She has a folder clenched between her teeth. And a black leash in one of her hands. The leash is connected to a collar around the neck of a pug. 

"What the hell?" Lexa shakes her head before returning her attention to Clarke. She doesn't know what compels her to say it, but the next thing that comes out of her mouth is, "I'm going to hold a birthday party for Artemis this weekend. If you're not busy, you're welcome to come by." 

Clarke's face lights up. "I'll be there." She pulls out her cell phone. "What's your number?" 

Lexa gives Clarke her phone number. She takes a step back as Clarke leans out the window far enough to pet Artemis one last time. 

"I'll see you this weekend," she says. "Okay, boy?" Clarke looks back at Lexa. "Thank you." 

Lexa nods. Clarke waves goodbye and drives away. Lexa rejoins Anya at Anya's truck. Artemis and the pug sniff each other. 

"You got a dog," Lexa comments. 

"I did." Anya shrugs. "He's house trained and he was the oldest dog there. No one was going to adopt him if I didn't." 

"Did you think of a name for him yet?" Lexa looks at the name on the folder. "I don't think Roast Beef is a good name for him." 

"What about him?" Anya asks, motioning to Artemis. "Don't tell me you're going to keep Elmo as his name." 

"Artemis." 

Anya picks up the pug. "I'll call him Zeus," she decides. She puts him in the back seat with Artemis. "Keep up with the whole Greek deity theme." 

Lexa hums in agreement. She spends most of their drive back to her apartment staring at Artemis through the side mirror. Anya opened his window. He thanks her by drooling all over it. 

"Question," Anya says. She pulls into Lexa's apartment complex. "Can we still smoke inside with the dogs?" 

Lexa refrains from rolling her eyes. She doesn't answer Anya. She just grabs Artemis' things and leads her new dog into her apartment. She gives him a little tour before letting him explore his new home off leash. She's watching him walk in a circle on his new bed when her phone chirps. It's a text message from an unknown number. 

'Hey! It's Clarke. Can't wait for Artemis' party this weekend! Text me the details :)' 

Lexa stares down at her phone. 

"Shit."


End file.
